Are you having a hard time disputing items on your credit report? If so, you’re not alone!
With the sheer volume of letters sent to the Credit Bureaus, it’s easy for letters to be overlooked.
Before wasting your time and energy, let me show you a few strategies to ensure that your dispute letter ends up in the right hands … and gets corrected promptly and accurately.
After all, if you’re trying to repair your credit score, you’re probably looking to get a loan, buy a new car, purchase a home or change careers… and need your credit report corrected quickly, right?
Step One: Customize Your Dispute Letter
Even though you can easily grab a “credit repair letter template” on the Internet – avoid them!
Credit bureaus receive tons of dispute letters each and every day. Because of this they use an automated letter sorter that scans each letter and prioritizes requests. Trouble is, this sorting technology is sophisticated enough to notice duplicate content, which can result in your letter being earmarked as a low priority.
Plus, if your dispute letter is labeled as trivial or non essential, you could be stopped from disputing specific items for several months.
You can certainly follow the guidelines of a form letter or template, but you’ll want to customize it so that it looks completely unique and “original”.
Step two: Avoid Being Just a Number!
A customized letter not only stands out, it allows you to attach supporting documentation and get into far more detail about your dispute.
Another little-known thing that credit bureaus do is to use an automated process called e-Oscar. This method scans a dispute letter, and creates a two or three digit code, which is sent to the Creditor of your dispute. In this situation the creditor must verify the accuracy of the code and respond accordingly. Problem is, your letter ends up in a huge pile of letters waiting for verification.
By making your letter as “unscannable” as possible – in other words to hand write it or customize it – your letter will actually be investigated and processed faster.
Step Three: Include ALL the Facts
To fast-track your disputes, it’s best to attach supporting documentation to your customized letter. You should provide as much detail as possible about every error you are disputing.
Keep in mind that if you have multiple disputes, it’s wise to dispute one or two errors at a time at least a month or two apart. It’s common for a credit bureau investigator to get agitated at a long list of disputes, and ignore your letter altogether.
By picking your battles carefully, being original and being diligent, you can improve the quality of your letters, and get your credit disputes resolved much faster!
The next time you’re writing a letter to the credit bureau, keep these suggestions in mind.
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